Whispers and Wishes
by LLF
Summary: Its a new school year in Coal Valley. Elizabeth and Jack...and soon the whole town...come to the rescue.
1. Chapter 1

Elizabeth Thatcher sighed heavily and set the last of the notebooks in the pile on her desk. She glanced around at the new school house and smiled softly. The children loved the clean new schoolroom that had been built just for them. They were proud of the desks and the benches and the supply shelves that lined the walls. Her book collection took up a good deal of space on those shelves. The bright curtains at the windows would be replaced by heavier ones when colder weather set in. The new potbellied wood stove in the center of the room would keep them all warm when it needed to. It had even been designed so that adding another room would be easier when it was needed. Goodness knows that Coal Valley was growing and she wouldn't be the only teacher they would need for long.

It had been a huge undertaking for the town to build this little building but the truth of the matter was she really missed teaching her students in the 'old' schoolhouse. The saloon had been right smack in the middle of all the hustle and bustle in town. Parents could stop by and check on their children without being intrusive. Here on the edge of town it was unseemly for them to just 'drop in' with a plate of cookies or a package that had been delivered or a sweater someone had forgotten. But then in the beginning there had been a need to check in more often. Elizabeth smiled softly as she remembered the hurt and insecure group that had entered her classroom in the beginning of her term in Coal Valley. It was so wonderful to see that they were growing and maturing and yes, healing, from the horrendous events that followed the explosion in the mines. Her students were smiling again and looking forward instead of back.

Her long fingers tapped the top of the notebooks thoughtfully and she looked up as she heard the school door open. She grinned as a long eared basset hound waddled confidently between the rows of desks toward her. Jack Thornton moved around the coat room wall at the back of the room.

"I thought you might be ready to walk home by now," he said.

"Indeed, I am," Elizabeth sighed happily as she reached down to rub the basset's head. Rip pulled his front feet to her knees and let her scratch behind his ears.

"Come on, Rip," Jack laughed as he carried Elizabeth's shawl and hat from its coat room hook to her. The dog whimpered but jumped down and Elizabeth stood up. She straightened the pens on the top of her desk and then smiled as he wrapped the knit shawl around her shoulders. Jack pressed a soft kiss to her cheek and Elizabeth leaned into his arms. "Did you have a good day?" he asked as his arm slipped behind her waist and they made their way from the classroom to the front door of the school house. Jack took the key from her and locked the door behind them as they stepped out on porch.

"They love the swing you put up for them," she said as she tipped her head toward the rope swing in a nearby tree. "I had to monitor the children taking turns during lunch recess." She fastened her broad brimmed hat to her upswept hair with a hat pin.

"For them?" Jack chuckled. "Why, Miss Thatcher, that swing is for you and I." He took her hand and they headed up the lane toward town. "I foresee a hot summer evening when we can enjoy the breeze from swinging back and forth under that tree." Elizabeth's blue eyes danced as they met his and he lifted her hand to his lips for a kiss. Jack glanced around for the dog and they grinned as Rip trotted a head of them toward the edge of town and Abigail's café. It was a beautiful evening for early fall. The leaves had yet to change into their glorious colors but there was a slight nip in the air as the sun went down. She loved Coal Valley. The distinct seasons. The people. The Royal Mountie beside her. Elizabeth glanced over and their eyes met for a moment. She grinned shyly as his fingers tightened on hers. Their walks to and from the school house had become a warm and familiar beginning and end to her days.

"I saw Ned Weber when I went out to check on the Franckles today," Jack said. "He has been doing chores for them all summer. I asked him why he wasn't in school."

"I haven't seen him or Emma Grace this week," Elizabeth said. "I was getting a little worried and had planned to ride out and check on them Saturday in fact."

"Well, they will be in school tomorrow," Jack said as he helped her up to the boardwalk in front of the café. "I am not sure old Stefan was too happy with the boy for skipping school to work on his farm." Elizabeth nodded. Stefan Franckle could be a stern task master from what she'd seen of him at church, but she knew he had great respect for education. He'd told her more than once about their sons, one who was a banker in New York and the other an accountant in a Boston shipyard.

"Are you joining us for dinner tonight?" Elizabeth asked as she shook dust off the bottom of her skirt and then looked at him.

"I am afraid I can't tonight," Jack braced one booted foot on the edge of the board walk. "I have a council meeting to attend. I just wanted to make sure our school teacher was home safe before I went. Part of my job, you know." He grinned rakishly up at her and Elizabeth's heart skipped a beat as she chuckled.

"Your dedication to your job is duly noted and appreciated, Officer Thornton," she said happily. Jack laughed and kissed her hand again. "I'll be by in the morning to walk you to school," he said as headed across the street toward the bank. "Thank you," she replied happily. Jack glanced back and grinned at her. He kicked a stone ahead of him and Elizabeth smiled as Rip chased after it. She sighed and turned to open the door of the café.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun was barely up the next morning as Abigail Stanton tucked a napkin over the warm, buttery biscuits and snapped on the lid of the tin container she sent to the school house every morning. The kitchen of the café smelled of brewing coffee and bread and cinnamon rolls. The bell on the front door jingled and she peered around the open door to the cafe's dining room.

"You're just in time, Jack!" she laughed. "I just took them out of the oven." Jack groaned playfully as she carried a plate with a steaming cinnamon roll to a table and set it down. He pulled out a chair and sat down in front of the confection. Abigail watched as he cut a piece off with a fork and slipped it between his lips. Jack's eyes closed and he shook his head slowly.

"You are spoiling me, you know," he said. "Your cinnamon rolls every morning is a terrible habit to have." Abigail smiled proudly.

"You are my taste tester," she said. "A negative word from you and the batch goes right into the trash bin." Jack took another bite and closed his eyes as he chewed, savoring every single cinnamon sensation in his mouth. Abigail poured a small glass of cold milk from the pitcher on the sideboard and set it on the table next to his plate. Jack nodded his thanks and took a drink before digging in to the roll again. Abigail laughed softly and headed back to the kitchen. Elizabeth was tying the sash of her dark blue dress as she made her way into the kitchen from their rooms above.

"He's waiting for you," Abigail said as she arranged the rest of the warm rolls on to a serving platter for the glass case in the dining room.

"Waiting for me or eating his breakfast?" Elizabeth frowned slightly. Abigail grinned.

"Both," she said happily as she carried the platter of cinnamon rolls into the dining room. Elizabeth rolled her blue eyes and tucked a stray curl back into the narrow ribbon at the nape of her neck. Jack looked up as she entered the dining room and grinned.

"Good morning," he smiled happily. Elizabeth smiled ruefully and wiped a smidgen of cinnamon from the corner of his lips. Jack swiped quickly at his mouth with a napkin and stood up from his chair.

"I'll be back for the rest of that," he said as backed toward the door where Elizabeth waited. Abigail nodded and then her eyes widened.

"Elizabeth, wait!" she cried softly and hurried back to the kitchen. She returned with the biscuit tin and handed it to her friend.

"You don't have to keep doing this, you know," Elizabeth said. "I'm sure they all eat something before they leave their home."

"I like doing it," Abigail said as she pressed the tin into Elizabeth's hands. "I know how hungry Peter used to be in the morning."

"And the tin is empty every day," Elizabeth chuckled. "Thank you, Abigail."

"Have a good day," Abigail said as she stood at the open door and watched the two of them head down the board walk toward the edge of town and the school house. She stood there for a long moment and breathed in the cool morning air. The sky was brightening and the town was beginning to awaken. She waved happily as a stage went past and drew to a stop in front of the general store. The driver jumped down and opened the door. He spoke to someone inside and then gestured toward the café. Abigail shrugged happily and headed back in to her business. Customers first thing in the morning? It was going to be a great day.

Jack waited until they were out of sight of Main Street to pull Elizabeth to a halt on the pathway. She laughed as he pulled her close and pressed a kiss to her lips.

"Ummm," Elizabeth sighed. "You taste like cinnamon." Jack ginned and drew her closer for a hug.

"And you smell like hyacinths," he said. She chuckled and drew back from his embrace. She glanced around furtively.

"And any minute one of my students is going to come tripping down this path on their way to school and….." she said softly.

"I know," he replied. He grinned again and took her hand as they made their way through the small stand of trees and came in sight of the school house.

"Someone is already there," Jack said. A little girl with long dark curls was in the swing, her legs pumping as the swing rose toward the leafy branches.

"Emma Grace?" Elizabeth said. The little girl grinned and her feet in scuffed, laced boots dragged in the grass bringing the swing to a stop. She hopped off the swing and ran toward Elizabeth.

"Miss Thatcher!" the little girl cried happily and threw her arms around Elizabeth's waist. Jack took the tin of biscuits from her and grinned as Elizabeth knelt down to give the little girl a proper hug.

"Look at you!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she held the little girl at arm's length to study her. "You have grown so much over the summer and your teeth have grown in!" The little girl grinned broadly and reached up to scratch a smudged, pert little nose.

"Where is Ned?" Elizabeth asked as she stood up again and glanced around. The little girl's brow puckered.

"He's coming," she said. "He had some chores to do first." Elizabeth nodded and took the biscuit tin from Jack.

"Did you have breakfast this morning?" she asked.

"Of course I did," Emma Grace sighed. "My Mam made us stewed apples and ham slices and bread with peach jam."

"Ham slices?" Jack feigned surprise. "Already? I didn't know that anyone had done their butchering yet." Emma Grace's face fell and she looked up at him fearfully.

"All that food….." Elizabeth said as she opened the box in her hands. "You wouldn't be interested in one of Mrs. Stanton's biscuits, would you now? Still warm too." Emma Grace's brown eyes traveled from Jack to the tantalizing golden biscuits under the napkin in the box. She reached out slowly to take one and then took a small bite.

"Good morning, Miss Thatcher!" came a voice from the path. Elizabeth put the top back on the box and sighed heavily as she glanced at Jack. The noises and clamoring became more pronounced as children began to gather around the steps of the school. Jack nodded as she looked down at Emma Grace.

"You haven't seen the new school house yet, have you?" she asked. The little girl shook her head and slipped the biscuit carefully into the pocket of her pinafore. Elizabeth took her hand and they made their way to the front steps of the clapboard building.

"We have a desk just for you," Elizabeth said. Jack nodded with a smile as he watched her unlock the door and lead her students inside. He turned and headed back toward town where there was half a cinnamon roll waiting.


	3. Chapter 3

Elizabeth's blue eyes skimmed over the bent heads of her students as they worked on their sums. It was so quiet that all she could hear was the ticking of the clock on the back wall and the scratching of their lead pencils on the rough pages of their notebooks. Her eyes darted to the clock as the minute hand slipped to the half hour. She could even predict which one it was going to be by now. First Ned and then Emma Grace. Every half hour. And it had been that way for the past three school days. She nodded as Ned's hand shot into the air. His brown eyes met hers appreciatively. He jumped out of his seat and raced quietly down the middle of the aisle toward the back of the room and around the wall. A couple of the children looked up in consternation but then went back to their work. She heard the door open and then close quietly.

Elizabeth sighed and sat back in her chair while she studied Emma Grace's dark head as the little girl worked. A smile traced Elizabeth's lips as Emma Grace dropped her pencil while she counted on her fingers and then picked it up again to add numbers to her book. Loose curly hair spilled across the little girl's thin shoulders and down her back. That was different from last year. Emma Grace had never came to school without her hair neatly brushed into thick plaits with ribbons on the ends. Elizabeth wondered how she managed to keep all those curls from an uncontrolled tangle every day. Emma Grace stole a furtive glance backward as Ned entered the room again and slipped into his desk. His head dipped slightly as their eyes met and Emma Grace went back to her work. Elizabeth's gaze and thoughts shifted to the boy. How he had grown since last term. A good three inches maybe. At least that was the space created by his pants and the top of his scuffed boots. His shoulders had broadened and his muscles were hard. His dark hair also curled against the collar of his shirt. It was badly in need of a trim. Jack had told her that Ned had spent the summer working for the Franckles. That would explain the tanned skin and changes in his muscular build. Farm chores were hard but something wasn't quite right. She just knew it.

"Boys and girls," Elizabeth straightened in her seat and smiled as heads popped. "I think that's enough for this afternoon. Put your notebooks on my desk and then go out and enjoy the rest of this wonderful sunshine. I'll see you bright and early in the morning." There were delighted mumbles as supplies were put away.

"Thank you, Miss Thatcher." Elizabeth nodded as student after student approached her, stacked notebooks in front of her and then left. "Have a nice evening, Miss Thatcher." "See you in the morning, Miss Thatcher." Joelene. Anna Hayford. Emily and Rosaleen, hand in hand. Miles. Wyatt. Billy. Joe Tolliver. Gem.

"Ned and Emma Grace Weber, could you please stay for moment?" Elizabeth asked. The two children waited as the rest of their classmates filed out. They were holding hands as they approached her desk with their notebooks. Emma Grace added hers to the pile on the desk and Elizabeth took Ned's as he started to do the same. He watched as his teacher opened the pages of his notebook and scanned the pages.

"You are doing a wonderful job catching up after missing the first days of school, Ned," she said. The boy beamed.

"Thank you, Miss Thatcher," he said. "I'm sorry we missed. Don't have a calendar or anything to remind us."

"That's a wonderful idea for tomorrow!" Elizabeth smiled. "I think I will have the little ones make one to have at home. You are a good little artist so I want you to think about how you can help the others illustrate their calendars with drawings." Emma Grace beamed but looked back at the door. Elizabeth frowned slightly.

"Is everything okay with you two?" she asked. "You've both been running back and forth to the out house for the last several days." The children in front of her exchanged looks and Ned shrugged.

"Too many apples, I guess, ma'am," he said. Emma Grace nodded with wide eyes.

"That may be so," their teacher replied as she studied their faces. "Constable Jack says you have been helping the Franckles out on their farm." Ned nodded.

"I help with the milking every morning and evening," Ned said. "And now with the harvesting too."

"You work on their farm before you come to school?" Elizabeth was aghast. Ned nodded. Elizabeth turned to Emma Grace.

"And you walk through those woods all alone every morning?" Emma Grace hesitated and then shook her head slowly.

"My Mam walks with me," she said quietly.

"But I haven't seen your mother," Elizabeth said. "You have been here before me every day. Can you ask her to wait for me tomorrow?" Emma Grace looked up at her brother and Ned nodded.

"We'll tell her Miss Thatcher," he said. "Come on, Emma." Elizabeth leaned back in her chair and studied them again as they walked away from her.

"They're farm kids, Elizabeth," Abigail said as she added a serving of potatoes to her dinner plate. "They live a different kind of life than you or I did. They are used to chores."

"If they're farm kids, how did their father end up in the mine like everyone else around here?" Elizabeth asked. Jack's gaze darted to Abigail.

"Not every year is successful when you farm," the older woman explained. "Anthony had a less than profitable year and was working to make the money they needed to pay taxes. He was a temporary employee at the mine."

"And ended up being permanent…." Elizabeth's voice trailed off. She looked up and then reached over to squeeze Abigail's hand. Her friend smiled.

"It was devastating for Mary Weber," Abigail went on as she went back to her dinner. "She had no family to help out or to go to. She had two children and a baby to raise. She ended up selling part of their farm to Stefan Franckle. They have been good neighbors."

"That man is so gruff," Elizabeth sighed as she toyed with the green beans on her plate. "I cannot imagine anyone wanting to work for him. Especially a boy." Jack chuckled.

"He likes Ned," he said. "Says he is a better helper on his farm than his own sons were. Told me Ned wants to actually…learn…about farming." Elizabeth nodded.

"He does," she said. "I ordered an agriculture book just for him this summer."

"I only hope that Mary is able to hang on to the farm long enough for Ned to get older and manage it himself," Abigail added. "Working a farm yourself is a lot different than doing chores for someone else." Elizabeth's brow furrowed as she pondered her students for a long moment. She looked up as Jack reached across the table to touch her hand. Their eyes met and she smiled. He grinned and then went back to his dinner. Abigail's eyes went from one face to the other and she smiled. Elizabeth glanced at her.

"What?" she asked. Abigail chuckled and shook her head.

"Nothing," she laughed. Elizabeth grimaced and then glanced across the table at Jack. They both chuckled and then all three of them were laughing.


	4. Chapter 4

There was a cold nip in the air as Jack walked Elizabeth to the school house the next morning. He held her hand snuggly in his own.

"The leaves will be changing colors soon," Elizabeth sighed as she drew the warm wrap she wore closer to her chest.

"My favorite time of year," Jack said. Elizabeth laughed and her hand tightened in his.

"You said that when the lilacs were blooming last spring," she said happily. "And again when the snow was falling on Christmas eve." Jack shrugged and grinned sheepishly.

"Is Coal Valley growing on you, Constable?" Elizabeth laughed softly. Jack's smile faded as they neared the school house. Children were gathered around the window trying to see inside. Miles was perched on his brother's shoulders.

"There he goes under teacher's desk again!" the little boy hooted. The children laughed and scrambled to pull themselves up to the window sill.

"What's going on?" Elizabeth dropped Jack's hand and moved toward the children.

"There's a coon in the schoolhouse, Miss Thatcher," Miles cried. "A big fat one!" He slipped off Gabe's shoulders and slid to the ground.

"What?" Elizabeth cried. "How did it get inside?" She stood on tip toe to look in the window as Jack moved beside her. They watched as a raccoon waddled out from under her desk and made its way under the children's desks. It stopped to pull a piece of paper from a desk and wadded it into a crumbled ball.

"It's just looking for a place to spend the winter," Jack said as he watched the animal move toward the book shelves.

"Ha…not in my schoolroom," Elizabeth scoffed. She grimaced as the animal pulled books off the lower shelves. "How do we get it out?" She turned around and leaned forlornly against the school and surveyed the children gathered around them.

"He's looking for food," Jack mused, still watching through the glass. Elizabeth frowned and then looked down at the biscuit tin that she held against her. She opened the tin and held it out.

"Mrs. Stanton's biscuits are going to feed a raccoon today," she said. "Children, we need to make a trail from the back door to the woods. Any direction as long as it's away from the school." Eager hands reached into the tin and they raced off to follow directions. Jack took the last biscuit and tipped it in the air toward her before her took a bite.

"So how do we get it out the back door?" he asked. Gabe led the children back to the side of the building and they followed Elizabeth and Jack to the front doors of the school. She handed the biscuit tin to Jack and took the keys from her pocket. She unlocked the front door and then tossed the keys to Gabe.

"Run around to the back and unlock the door," she said. "Prop it open and set this on the door sill." She took the biscuit from Jack's hand and chuckled at his disappointed frown. Gabe nodded as he caught the biscuit as she tossed it to him and sauntered off toward the back of the school house.

"Now what?" Jack asked as he put his hands on his hips.

"We go in," she said sweetly. "And we chase him out." The children burst out laughing as their beloved Constable Jack's mouth dropped open. Elizabeth's grin widened and then she took charge again.

"Children," she said. "I want you as far away from the school as reasonable. Go over by the swinging tree and wait. Don't go anywhere near this raccoon. It's likely to be angry and we don't want anyone to get bitten." Elizabeth watched as the group moved reluctantly toward the swings to watch.

"It's all set, Miss Thatcher." Gabe rounded the corner of the school and handed the key back to her. "What do you want me to do now?" Elizabeth nodded toward the children watching from the tree.

"Go watch the rest of the children," she said. "I don't want them chasing after this animal."

"Yes, ma'am," Gabe said as he hurried over to where the class stood watching. Elizabeth turned to Jack.

"Are you ready?" she asked as her hand rested on the door latch.

"Sure," Jack replied. 'But do you want to tell me what we are doing first?" Their eyes met and they both chortled softly.

"I'll go around one side of the coatroom wall and you go around the other," she explained. "And we'll shoo him toward the back door."

"Shoo," Jack stated firmly. He saluted. Elizabeth laughed and turned the door latch slowly. She slipped inside and held the door so Jack could squeeze quietly inside. They looked at one another and then peeked cautiously around both sides of the coatroom wall.

The raccoon sat up on its haunches surveying the book shelf again. It lifted its nose in the air and then turned toward the opened back door.

"Shoo!" Elizabeth cried as she came around the wall with her skirts swishing. The startled raccoon fell to all four feet and headed toward the other side of the room. Jack stepped out and waved his hands as the raccoon skirted under the nearby desks toward Elizabeth again. She swished her skirts and the animal headed toward her desk and then disappeared up onto her chair.

"What do we do now?" Jack laughed.

"I have no idea!" she shrugged worriedly. She bent over to look under the desk but couldn't see the animal at all. "Is it in my desk?" Jack inched toward the desk and then reached out cautiously to shake the high back chair. The raccoon hissed and then plopped down on the floor. Elizabeth jumped onto a desk seat and then Jack climbed up beside her. The raccoon made its way to the biscuit on the door sill and picked it up in his paws. He brushed the biscuit and then put it in his mouth before heading out the door and off into the weeds and towards the woods behind the school. Jack grinned as they heard the children cheerinG outside. He kissed Elizabeth lightly on the lips, grinned and then jumped down to help her off the desk.

"Well, your day is off to an exciting start," he said as the children clattered and chattered back into the school. "I'll see you this evening." And with that he tipped his head and made his way through the happy crowd to leave,

nodding as they clapped him on the back. Elizabeth smiled and put her hands on her hips as she surveyed the mess left by the raccoon.

"Let's get this room back to order," she said. "Hannah and Rosaleen, take care of the book shelves please. Gem, find the broom and see if there are any droppings that need to be swept away." The children busied themselves putting things away and talking happily about the raccoon. Elizabeth looked down as Emma Grace handed her the empty biscuit tin and turned away. Elizabeth fit the top on tightly and then set the tin on her desk. She turned to see Emma Grace seated at her desk, studying the tin sadly. She frowned and then contemplated the classroom.

"Okay, that's good enough," she said as she clapped her hands. "Now I want you to take out your notebooks because we are going to write about our adventure this morning. Raccoon…phylum…chordata…class…mammal. Raccoons are carnivorous…which means what?" Hands shot into the air as children settled into their seats and pulled out their notebooks and pencils. Elizabeth surveyed the waving hands.

"Jonah?" she said.

"It's a meat eater, Miss Thatcher," the boy said. "Raccoons eat mice, chipmunks, small fish…..and Mrs. Stanton's biscuits." He grinned as the children laughed. Elizabeth nodded with a smile.

"Exactly right, Jonah," she chuckled. She pulled out the chair at her desk and sat down to survey the bent heads as they wrote in their notebooks. Her eyes swept the room and then stopped as she saw a movement at the back wall. A small curly head peeked around and then disappeared again. She waited and then a small boy eased around the edge of the wall and searched the room.

He grinned and hurried down the center aisle of the classroom. He stopped and grabbed Emma Grace's arm.

"I hungry, Emmie," he whined. "I want me biscuit." Emma stared up at Elizabeth with startled eyes and then wrapped a protective arm around the little boy. She kissed the top of his head.

"I'm sorry, Thomas," she said. "There aren't any biscuits today."

"No biscuits?" the little boy whined and then scrubbed his nose sadly with a dirty fist. Anabel stood up from her seat next to Emma Grace and went to the shelf where their lunch buckets were stored. She rummaged around in her bucket and then slid a biscuit across the desk when she sat down again. Thomas' eye brightened as Emma Grace handed the biscuit to him. He crawled up into the seat with her and happily munched on the biscuit in his hands. The classroom was silent as eyes shifted from the little boy to their teacher.

"Your mother must be here," Elizabeth said cheerfully. Ned stood up slowly.

"No, ma'am," he said quietly.

"She's helping with a wedding dress today," Emma Grace interrupted. "I'm taking care of Thomas for her."

"But where…." Elizabeth's voice trailed off as Ned sat back in his seat and stared at his tightly folded hands on the desk top. She took a deep breath and glanced around at the rest of the students.

"Boys and girls," she said. "Please continue with your writing while I talk to Ned and Emma Grace." The children went back to their work while Elizabeth waited for Ned and Emma Grace. Their faces were white as they led their teacher toward the coatroom and door of the school. Emma Grace had Thomas firmly by one hand and the little boy was chewing away on the biscuit in his other hand.

"So where have you kept him today?" she asked as she reached out to touch his hair. Thomas grinned up at her and a dimple flashed in his cheek. He went back to eating.

"We made a little hidey back in the trees for him," Ned said quietly. "He has a quilt to sleep on and some of his toys to play with."

"You left a little boy alone in the woods?" Elizabeth gasped.

"He is fine there," Emma Grace replied emphatically. "We've been chec….." She stopped and covered her mouth, her eyes wide as she stared at her teacher. Elizabeth's brows furrowed.

"That's why you have been going to the outhouse so many times," she said. "…to check on Thomas?" Ned and Emma Grace exchanged glances. Ned nodded.

"Well, he can't stay at this…hidey….alone any longer," she said. "It's getting too cold and there are animals in the woods foraging for the winter. I want you to go gather up the quilt and his toys and bring them back here. I am sure that he is a good boy so we'll keep him in the school house for the rest of the day."

"Really?" Emma Grace cried softly. Her arm tightened around her little brother and Thomas squirmed.

"Emmie!" he whined. "You squeezing me too hard!" Elizabeth smiled and then nodded at Ned.

"Go now," she said. "You can finish your work when you get back." Ned nodded and jumped off the steps and hurried off toward the wooded area behind the out house. Elizabeth led Emma Grace back inside.

"You have to be very, very good today, Thomas," Emma Grace whispered softly as she brushed biscuit crumbs away from the little boy's face. "Then maybe you can come to school with me every day."

"I be good, Emmie," Thomas nodded. "I be berry good." Emma Grace slipped back into her seat and pulled Thomas up beside her. Elizabeth thought for a moment and tapped Joe Tolliver's arm. She whispered into his ear. He nodded and quietly left the school room. Elizabeth saw him sprinting off in the direction of town through the window.

"It looks as though we have another guest today, children," Elizabeth said quietly as she moved to her desk in front. "I expect you to remain focused because I have planned to cover a lot of material today." Thomas' dark eyes met Elizabeth's and his face fell. He stuck a finger in his mouth and sat very still. Writing began again in earnest. But there were smiles as they watched Thomas now and then. Elizabeth crossed to the book shelves and searched till she found a small red volume. She circled to the center aisle and bent down to give the book to the little boy. Thomas grinned up at her and opened the book. His short legs began to swing happily.

"Look, Emmie!" he cried. "Apple….A!" Elizabeth's gaze moved to Emma Grace's proud smile.

"Thomas knows most of his letters, Miss Thatcher," she said. "I have been teaching him all summer."

"You are a wonderful teacher then, Emma Grace," Elizabeth said. "How old is he?"

"Three, miss. He'll be four at Christmas time," the little girl smiled. Her brother turned to her again and held up the little book.

"T…Thomas! See?" Emma Grace nodded and they all looked back as Ned entered the room carrying a ragged quilt. Thomas jumped up and ran to his older brother.

"I got a book, Ned," he said happily. "Teacher gived me a book to read!" The other children tittered and Elizabeth stood up.

"I can make a bed for him in the corner, Miss Thatcher," Ned said. "He'll take a nap there." Elizabeth nodded and Ned carried the quilt to the corner of the room. He busied himself folding the quilt. Joe Tolliver entered from the back of the room and nodded at Elizabeth. He took his place at his desk. Elizabeth looked up at the clock. It hadn't even been an hour since she'd left Abigail's café and she was already exhausted.


	5. Chapter 5

Elizabeth smiled broadly as she pushed the swing again. Emma Grace had her arms wrapped around the ropes and then around her little brother in her lap. Thomas clung to the ropes with his hands and stared upwards into the tree. Laughter bubbled out from the very depths of his tummy as his curls swept with the wind. Emma Grace was wearing a grin as wide as her freckled face would allow it.

"Higher," the little boy begged.

"No, Thomas!" Emma Grace squealed. "I can't hold you anymore."

"Please?" the little boy cried. Elizabeth caught sight of Jack striding toward them from the path to town. He was leading his horse by the reins. There was a grim look on his face. Her smile faded and she slowed the swing and helped Thomas down from his sister's lap.

"Horse!" the little boy squealed and he ran toward Jack with Emma Grace close behind him. The little girl caught the back of his shirt and held him back from the horse's legs.

"Hold on there," Jack chuckled. He swung the little boy up in his arms and held him close enough to pat the horse's velvety nose. "Charger is a little nervous around little boys like you."

"Her likes me!" Thomas giggled as the horse nickered and then lifted his nose for another pat.

"I think he does," Jack assured him with a smile. Elizabeth studied the Mountie's haggard face and then sighed as she put her hands on Emma Grace's shoulders. The little girl leaned back against her affectionately as she watched her little brother pet the horse.

"Mrs. Stanton will be needing some flowers for the tables at the café," Elizabeth said. "Do you think you and Thomas would be able to find some for me to take to her? And not go too far away?" Emma Grace nodded quickly and reached for her little brother's hand as Jack lowered him to the ground.

"Come on, Thomas," the little girl said briskly. They headed for the open field beyond the swing tree. Elizabeth watched them go and then turned back to Jack.

"Was Mary home?" she asked as he looked down and kicked at some pebbles in the pathway. "Were you able to find out where she might have gone? Emma Grace said she was helping someone with a wedding dress today. She said they had yards and yards of store bought lace…" Jack looked up suddenly and sighed.

"There was no one at the farmhouse," he said. "It looked as though no one but the children have been there for a good while."

"What?" Elizabeth frowned in confusion. "But why…."

"Elizabeth," he interrupted. "I found a grave." Elizabeth's blue eyes widened in shock. Jack reached out to put his hand on her shoulder to steady her as she swayed on her feet. They both turned their heads to watch the little girl and boy as they raced through the tall grass in the field looking for flowers.

"Is it Mary?" she asked softly as she turned back to him. Jack shrugged.

"I need to talk to the children," he said softly.

"Ned left to do his chores at the Franckle's farm right after school let out," she said. "I was keeping Emma Grace and Thomas here until I heard from you. I'd planned to walk them home." She leaned into him.

"Oh Jack," she sighed softly. He held her close for a long moment as his fingers spread comfortingly across her back and then up into the softness of her hair. His eyes rested on the two children in the field and he sighed. Elizabeth pulled away and their eyes met for a long moment.

"I brought some of their clothes from the farm and left them with Abigail," he said softly as he cupped her cheek in his hand and studied her face. "Take those two into town with you and I'll ride out to the Franckles' to talk to Ned. Stefan and Sadie will be there. We can find out what is going on." Elizabeth nodded. Jack hugged her quickly and then mounted his gently prancing horse. He looked down at her and sighed before moving the horse away and across the field toward the farm. Elizabeth smiled sadly as Emma Grace and Thomas waved happily as the Mountie rode past them and waved. They ran toward Elizabeth with their hands full of tiny wild flowers.

"They're beautiful!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she took them in her hands. "Let's all take them to Mrs. Stanton. I am guessing that she might have a cookie or two to pay for them."

"Cookie!" Thomas crowed and grabbed Elizabeth's free hand. He started tugging her toward the path into town. Emma Grace looked up at her in confusion and then turned her head to the field where they could still see Jack riding off in the distance.

"It's all right, Emma Grace," Elizabeth said softly. The little girl looked up at her and brushed a strand of dark curly hair away from her face. She blinked her dark brown eyes in the waning sunlight.

"Would you like to carry the flowers to Mrs. Stanton?" Elizabeth asked and held out the small bouquet. The little girl blinked slowly again and reached out to take the wildflowers from her. Elizabeth held out her empty hand and Emma Grace slowly slipped her fingers into her teacher's. She looked up at Elizabeth and the woman smiled in reassurance.

Several hours later Elizabeth drew a brush through the mass of wet curly hair on Emma Grace's head and sighed.

"I do believe we need to put this in a braid to keep it from getting tangled," she sighed. The little girl was wrapped in an over sized nightgown of Elizabeth's and kicked her bare feet against the galvanized bath tub where Thomas was playing with a bar of soap in the warm water.

"That's what my Mama does," Emma Grace said. Thomas looked at her in confusion

"But Emmie…." he started.

"She is making me new pinnies, too," his sister interrupted him. She looked up at Elizabeth.

"Three of them," she said. "There is a red one and a blue one for every day and a flowered one for special." Emma Grace turned back to studying her bare toes on the edge of the tub. "She might even have some lace leftover from the wedding dress to use. She promised that she would try." Elizabeth looked up at the clean, but ragged pinafores, dresses and under clothing hanging around the room to dry.

"If she promised, Emma," Elizabeth said as she began to plait the little girl's hair into a loose braid, "I am sure she will do it." They all looked up as Abigail came into the room from the stairs with a clean shirt.

"I think this will do for you," she said to the little boy in the tub. "I made a bed for them on the floor of your room like you asked, Elizabeth." She laid the shirt across the back of a nearby chair and took the towel that had been warming by the stove. She sat down in the chair and held the towel wide.

"And time to get you ready to go into it," she smiled. Thomas grinned and stood up, dripping into the tub of warm water. Elizabeth smiled as Abigail chuckled and wrapped the warm towel around the naked and clean smelling little boy. She held him in a tight hug and kissed his cheeks.

"Oh its fun to have a little boy around again," she laughed as she lifted Thomas from the tub and pulled him on to her lap. He sat still as she dried his hair and rubbed the warm towel over him.

"Want my own night shirt," he pouted as Abigail pulled the clean shirt over his head.

"Its wet, Thomas," Emma Grace scolded. "All our clothes are. Teacher washed them for us. Remember?"

"Want my own clothes," the little boy whined again. Abigail stood him on his feet in front of her and buttoned the top button around his neck. Thomas looked up at her with a frown.

"I know you do," Abigail sighed and smiled softly. "Would another cookie help?" Thomas thought for a moment and then stuck a finger in his mouth as he nodded. Abigail laughed and lifted him in her arms as she stood up and carried him toward the café's dining room and cookie jar.

"You're spoiling him," Emma Grace said flatly.

"I know," Abigail called back. Emma Grace shook her head and Elizabeth laughed and hugged her. She pulled the little girl to her feet and turned her around in front of her.

"When will Ned be here?" the little girl asked with a worried look on her freckled face. Elizabeth sat back in her chair and studied the child in front of her.

"When he is finished with his chores and Constable Jack brings him," she said as she took the little girl's hands in her own. Elizabeth studied the little girl thoughtfully.

"You don't have to worry any more, sweetheart," she said. "You don't have to worry about anything at all." Emma Grace looked at her for a long moment and started to say something but stopped.

"Do you have something you want to tell me, Emma Grace?" Elizabeth asked softly. Emma Grace pulled her hands free carefully and then toyed with the ribbon Elizabeth had tied to the end of the braid lying over her shoulder.

"No ma'am," she said. They both looked up as Thomas bounced into the room with a cookie in his mouth and another one in his hand.

"Here's one for you too, Emmie!" he cried, spewing crumbs as he handed her the cookie. Emma Grace grimaced and then took the cookie from him.

"I think I shall get these two tucked into bed," Abigail said as she took Thomas by the hand. She held out another hand for his sister and Emma Grace took it in her own. She looked back as Abigail led them to the stairs and then pulled away. She ran back to Elizabeth and threw her arms around Elizabeth's neck.

"Thank you, Miss Thatcher," she whispered. "Thank you for bringing us here." Elizabeth held her tightly for a long moment and then released her. Abigail exchanged looks with Elizabeth and led the two children up to the rooms over the café.

Elizabeth sat for a moment and then stood up and gathered up the damp towels. She draped them over a chair to dry and busied herself cleaning up the mess in Abigail's kitchen. She felt the clothes hanging around the room and then dragged the bath tub toward the back door.

"Can I help you with that?" came a voice from the dining room door. She stood up and smiled as Jack made his way around Abigail's kitchen table and helped her with the tub. They drained the water onto the rocky grass off the back porch in silence and then he leaned the tub against the railing to dry. They made their way back to the door and he held out a hand to help her up the step.

"Are you hungry?" she asked as he closed the door and latched it securely. "I can warm up some stew for you." Jack stared at her for a moment in surprise.

"I said warm it up, not cook it," she groaned. Jack chuckled and shook his head.

"No," he said. "I had dinner with the Franckles and Ned." Elizabeth looked around and frowned.

"Where is Ned?" she asked.

"The Franckles wanted to keep him for the night or as long as he needs a place to stay," Jack said as he lifted the coffee pot on the stove. He reached for a cup from a nearby shelf and filled it with coffee. "He was so upset after talking to me that I thought it would be the best thing for him. They really do love him, Elizabeth." Elizabeth nodded. Jack smiled wanly and reached for her hand. He drew her into the café's dining room and held out a chair for her. He set his coffee down and reached for the cookie jar on the shelf that held baked goods.

"That might be empty," Elizabeth warned. "Abigail has been spoiling Thomas all evening."

"I have not," Abigail chuckled as she came through the kitchen door to join them. "And there is plenty in there, Jack." He pulled out two cookies and then joined Abigail and Elizabeth at the table.

"Clean, full tummies and a warm bed," Abigail said in reply to their unasked question. "They were both asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows." Jack nodded and took a long sip of his coffee. Both women were watching him.

"It's Mary Weber in the grave, isn't it?" Abigail asked finally. Jack nodded slowly. Elizabeth drew a hand up to cover her mouth as tears filled her eyes.

"How could this have happened?" she cried softly. "Those children were on that farm all alone and no one knew?"

"When?" Abigail asked firmly. Jack turned to look at her.

"The beginning of July," he said softly. "Ned told us that she got sick, feverish and then died. She wouldn't let them go to anyone for help. She said they would be taken away if they did." Elizabeth's head dropped back as a tear dripped down the side of her face.

"So they buried her themselves?" Abigail shook her head sadly. "Did the Franckles know?" Jack shook his head.

"Not until Ned told us tonight," he said. "The boy had already been working for them. He was taking milk and eggs home from the farm in payment and just continued to do it. That's what they have been eating. Milk, eggs…."

"And apples," Elizabeth finished for him. "How could I have not known this?"

"Don't blame yourself, Elizabeth," Abigail said as she shook her head. "This whole town is at fault. I went to church with them. I should have noticed that she hadn't been coming."

"They have been fending for themselves for three months?" Elizabeth shook her head again. "They must have been terrified."

"They're safe now," Jack said firmly and then drained his coffee cup. "Ned is going to stay with the Franckles but we need to make some arrangements for the other two."

"They can stay right here," Abigail said firmly.

"Emma Grace will be at school with me but you can't run this café with Thomas underfoot all day," Elizabeth said carefully. "Maybe I should bring him to school with Emma. That way he could see Ned for a bit too."

"I am going to talk to Cat tomorrow," Jack said. "Surely someone in the mine houses could take care of a three year old. At least temporarily." The women were silent as they looked at one another and then back to Jack. He shrugged.

"There is no one that would be able to take on three additional children in this community, is there? I am going to have to contact authorities about what to do with them in the long run."

"Oh Jack….." Elizabeth drawled sadly. Jack reached out to clasp her hand in his.

"I am sorry, Elizabeth," he said softly. "They're orphans. According to Ned there are no relatives they can go to. There is nothing else we can do." The three of them sat in sad silence for a very long time.


	6. Chapter 6

Abigail suppressed a pleased smile as she watched from the stove as Emma Grace tucked a cloth napkin over the cookies she'd placed carefully in a basket. The little girl carried the basket to a nearby shelf.

"Now you make sure that you tell everyone that you made them all by yourself," Abigail instructed. Emma Grace nodded her dark head and then proudly smiled up at the woman. Her dark eyes shone. Abigail wiped her hands on her apron and then reached down and wrapped the little girl in a hug.

"You have been such a big help to me here this week, sweetheart," the woman sighed and held Emma close for a long moment. The little girl snuggled in close for a moment and then turned her head to look at the door.

"Your teacher will be home soon," Abigail said as she tipped Emma's face upward. "Go on up and get ready for bed. I'll be up to see that you're settled when I'm finished." Emma Grace nodded and headed up the stairs to the rooms above the café. Abigail watched her go with a worried look and then went back to banking the coals in the stove for the night. She looked up as the back door opened and Elizabeth made her way into the warm kitchen.

"Brrr…" she shivered as she took off the coat she wore and hung it on the hook by the door. "We won't be able to do that much longer." Abigail chuckled and closed the door to the oven carefully.

"Oh, I don't know," she sighed happily as she stood up. "I remember some very cozy walks in the snow." Elizabeth rolled her eyes and sat down in the chair by the table.

"Did Emma Grace already go up to bed?" she asked as she struggled with the hooks on her high leather shoes. Abigail nodded and folded the towels on the counter.

"How is Ned doing?" she asked. Elizabeth straightened in her chair and frowned slightly.

"Very well actually," she said. "Sadie has cut his hair and taken down the hem in his pants. I think he was even wearing a new shirt today."

"Good," Abigail replied firmly.

"I just wish that Thomas weren't so far away," Elizabeth shook her head. "I think they miss him."

"I miss him too," Abigail chuckled. "I am counting the days until Sunday when I can give that child another hug."

"And a cookie," Elizabeth added drolly. Abigail shrugged and smiled fondly as she removed the apron she wore and hung it near the stove.

"I am going to go trim the oil lamps for tomorrow," she said.

"Need help?" Elizabeth asked as she stood up. Abigail shook her head.

"No," she said. "It won't take long. I'll see you in the morning." Elizabeth climbed the stairs and opened the door to her room quietly. Emma Grace was curled into the quilts on the pallet she slept on next to Elizabeth's bed. She didn't move as Elizabeth entered the room and checked the burning oil lamp on the wall. The woman slipped behind the dressing screen and changed quickly from her skirt and shirtwaist into the warm flannel night gown that she'd left folded on a nearby chair. She peeked over at the sleeping bundle on her floor and then turned the lamp down. She tripped across rag rug on the cold floor and crawled between the quilt and sheets on her bed. With a heavy sigh, she burrowed her head into the feather pillow and pulled the quilt closer around her. She closed her eyes and was drifting to sleep when a whisper of a hiccup broke the silence in the room. She opened her eyes and studied the bundle on the pallet. There it was again. A hiccup. A soft sob.

"Emma Grace?" Elizabeth whispered. There was silence.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" Elizabeth whispered again. The blankets stirred.

"Yes…." came a soft response. Elizabeth waited and then the sob came again. Elizabeth's heart broke just a little and she remembered snuggling with Julie. Next to her. How comforting it was at times.

"Are you cold?" she asked softly. "Do you want to come to bed with me." There was a long moment and the bundle on the floor shifted. Elizabeth held up her quilt and Emma Grace slipped into the bed beside her. Elizabeth wrapped her arms around the little girl and held her close. Tears welled in her eyes as the girl began to cry. Elizabeth held her closer and kissed the top of her head.

"Shhh…" she crooned softly. "It's okay, Emma. Really."

"I miss Thomas," the little girl whimpered.

"I know you do, sweetheart," Elizabeth said. "But it's best for right now."

"Sometimes he gets scared at night," Emma hiccupped. "He might wet the bed if I'm not there."

"Thomas is most likely snuggled in bed with Jason and Matthew like three little bear cubs right now," Elizabeth assured her quietly. "Mrs. Bradford knows what to do with little boys."

"But she doesn't know Thomas," Emma cried softly. "Not like I do." Elizabeth was thoughtfully silent as she waited for the tears to subside.

"You know what, Emma Grace," she said finally. "You are right. We didn't give you a chance to talk to Mrs. Bradford about how to take care of Thomas." Emma Grace shifted in her arms.

"Tomorrow, after morning lessons, I think we need to see of Constable Jack can take you to the Bradford's so you can see Thomas," Elizabeth said firmly. "You can make sure that he's all right and talk to Mrs. Bradford. Would you like that?"

"Could I?" Emma asked softly. Elizabeth held her closer and nodded, determined to make it so. She shifted uncomfortably.

"You know what, Emma Grace?" the woman sighed. "Your feet are incredibly cold." Emma Grace giggled and buried her feet into the quilt and sheets. She sighed sleepily, her fingers entwined in her teacher's. Elizabeth closed her eyes and relished the warmth of her narrow bed. She had almost drifted to sleep when the little girl spoke again.

"Do you know what I wish, Miss Thatcher," she whispered. "I wish My mam and my da were here again. I wish we were all in our house together again."

"I know you do, sweetheart," Elizabeth said softly. "I wish it were true too." Emma Grace turned over and pulled the quilts around them closer and nestled back against her teacher. It was a long moment before her soft breathing steadied and they were asleep.

The next day, true to her word, when she had released the children from lessons for their noon meal, Elizabeth waited on the front steps of the school house with Emma Grace. A smile spread across both their faces as Jack rode Charger slowly down the path from town. Elizabeth's heart skipped a beat as she took in the sight of the handsome Mountie on his horse. He was dressed in full uniform, his boots shiny with polish and the red uniform jacket flawlessly buttoned and pressed. His black hat sat firmly on his head. Emma Grace's hand tightened on hers as Jack drew the horse to a stop.

"I understand that someone needs a ride," he said. The little girl beside her took a deep, happy breath and nodded. Elizabeth helped Emma Grace onto the horse behind the Mountie and the little girl wrapped her arms around Jack's trim waist. She was grinning from ear to ear. Elizabeth suppressed a smile and wrapped her arms around her chest, drawing the shawl she wore closer.

"Tell me how it feels, Constable Jack Thornton," she asked. He looked at her in confusion.

"How does it feel to be the knight in shining armor for a little girl?" Jack grinned and tipped his head toward Elizabeth. He winked.

"I'll have her home in time for supper," he said as he turned the horse back toward town. Elizabeth smiled as she watched them ride away. She sighed happily and then hurried inside again.


	7. Chapter 7

When church was over, congregants gathered outside the school house to chat and visit for a bit before returning to their homes. Even bundled up against the cold it was something they did. Elizabeth spoke with several families as she waited by the steps and then looked around for Emma Grace. She smiled a bit as she found the girl by the Franckels' buggy. Ned was holding Thomas up to pet the big bay horse hitched to the front as Stefan held the reins and grinned. The huge smile softened the fierceness of the older man's craggy dark brows. Emma Grace was holding a paper wrapped package as Sadie leaned forward to speak to her. Elizabeth watched as the little girl pulled back a corner of the paper and then threw an arm around Sadie's neck as she hugged the package to her chest. As Emma turned and ran through the groups of people around them toward her. She held the bundle to her as if it held something very valuable.

"Mrs. Sadie finished my pinafores for me, Miss Thatcher," the little girl cried happily. She peeled back the package wrapping again and Elizabeth fingered the sleeves of three new pinafores – a red one, a blue one and a flowered one. "She found them in my mama's sewing basket." Elizabeth looked toward the wagon where the Franckles stood with Jack. Sadie was watching Emma Grace with such sad longing that it almost hurt to see it. Her eyes met Elizabeth's and she smiled. She nodded when Elizabeth mouthed the words 'thank you.'

"I am sure they are beautiful, Emma Grace," Elizabeth said. Emma looked back at her brothers and the older couple by the buggy and then back at her teacher.

"They are going to the farm, Miss Thatcher," she said. "To check on things at our farm. May I go with them? Mrs. Sadie said that they will bring me back to the café later. Thomas is going too."

"Of course, you may go," Elizabeth smiled. She took the package of clothing from Emma and the little girl made her way back to the buggy with a dance in her step. Stefan lifted her up to the back seat with Ned and then handed his wife into the front. He settled Thomas on her lap and then rounded the horse to climb into the buggy himself.

"Elizabeth," Cat said as she touched her shoulder. "Are you coming in?" Elizabeth nodded and watched the buggy drive off toward the woods behind the school house and then followed Cat inside.

Abigail and Jack were already seated on the benches with Reverend Anderson in the high back chair from her desk in front of them. Abigail looked back as they entered and made room next to her on the bench.

"I am just saying that the longer we wait to move them, the harder it's going to be," Reverend Anderson was saying.

"Edmonton can't take them till after Christmas," Jack said quietly. "Calgary has no room at all. I have an inquiry in to Winnipeg."

"Winnipeg," Cat gasped. "That's so far away."

"They all said that it would be best to find placement for them here," Jack turned to her with a shrug. "Can you think of anyone that can keep them….for good?"

"Emma Grace is fine with us at the café," Abigail said quietly. "She is even becoming a great help."

"But its only temporary, Abigail," Reverend Anderson said. "And Thomas will become a problem shortly."

"He's a sweet little boy," Abigail shifted on the bench and smoothed the skirt of her warm, woolen dress.

"And active," Cat interjected crisply. "Jane is going to have another little one on her hands soon. We can't ask them to keep Thomas as well. Not with a new baby and the three they already have." They were all silent for a long moment.

"Maybe I'll hear something soon from Winnipeg," Jack said softly.

"Ned will die if you take him away from the farm and put him in the city," Elizabeth said as she stared out the window. "He will die. All he wants to be is a farmer."

"He won't die, Elizabeth," Reverend Anderson replied gently. "He will be able to finish his education and find a career." Elizabeth dragged her blue eyes from the swing hanging in the tree outside to the minister's face.

"He has a career," she said. "He is doing everything he can to learn as much as he can about crop yields and animal care. It's all that he's interested in. He wants to farm." The group was silent again as they all looked at her. Jack reached over to take her hand in his.

"Maybe he can stay," he said softly. "He is old enough to be a hired hand." Elizabeth sighed heavily.

"You know as well as I do that he will never let the little ones go to an orphanage without him," she said. "He won't."

"Reverend," Cat turned to him. "You see more of the surrounding towns than we do. Isn't there any…" The minister shook his head even before she finished.

"I have been asking, Cat," he said. "Really I have….." Elizabeth drew her hand away from Jack's gently and folded her arms across her chest. She stared out the window again as an idea began to formulate in her head.

"What about the Franckles?" she asked slowly. "They already know the children and…"

"Absolutely not," Reverend Anderson replied firmly. "It's bad enough that Ned is staying with them now."

"Why? Is it because they're older?" Elizabeth turned away from the window and back to the small group in the church. "Those children could be very helpful to them on their farm. Ned is only twelve and he is already a big help to them. He is learning so much that I can't teach him from a book. Emma Grace knows all about taking care of Thomas. And she is learning to cook and bake…..well….better than me. " Jack suppressed a grin as his eyes danced watching her.

"Miss Thatcher," Reverend Anderson said. "We simply cannot put three Christian children in that home permanently. I will not allow it."

"But it's a perfect place for them," Elizabeth argued. The minister shook his head. Cat and Abigail exchanged glances. Abigail took a deep breath.

"Elizabeth," she said softly and folded her hands in her lap. The younger woman turned to her with a confused frown on her face.

"Stefan and Sadie are Jewish," Abigail finished.


End file.
